Why is fasting necessary? How should a Christian behave during fasting? #

Fasting, as a form of piety, has been known since ancient times. The Old Testament recounts prophets who fasted during their communion with God, such as the prophet Moses, who fasted for forty days while conversing with God on Mount Sinai. Even abstaining from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil can be considered a form of fasting—a fast our foreparents Adam and Eve failed to observe when they partook of the fruit from the very tree God had forbidden them to eat. Indeed, this was the easiest fast in history: they could eat anything except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, yet they succumbed to the serpent’s temptation and ate it.

One of the most famous collective fasts was the fast of the people of Nineveh. The prophet Jonah preached to them about the impending judgment of God, and the king of Nineveh declared a three-day fast so strict that neither people nor animals ate food or drank water. The people cried out to the Lord in repentance for the sins of the Ninevites, and even the hungry livestock bellowed. The Lord then had mercy on Nineveh, teaching the prophet Jonah a significant lesson about compassion. Later, through the holy apostles, the Lord revealed that fervent Christian prayer is accompanied by fasting, during which even spouses abstain from marital relations for the sake of their fast.

In modern practice, fasting days typically fall on Wednesdays, Fridays, and the periods preceding major feasts (Pascha, the Nativity of Christ, the Dormition, and the commemoration of the holy apostles Peter and Paul). Specific dietary restrictions for these days are outlined in the Church calendar. However, it is essential to remember that the main focus of fasting is not only abstaining from certain foods but also refraining from enmity, reproach, and judgment of others.

During fasting, one should not boast about fasting, as this makes one resemble the Pharisees, who fasted to be seen by others and sought to display their piety publicly. Instead, fasting should be accompanied by acts of charity and mercy, done in such a way that no one is aware of them.

Priest Mikhail Rodin.